Egypt Authorities Permitting Attacks on Christians Through Lack of Action Against Perpetrators

Members of the Muslim Brotherhood and supporters of ousted Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi attend Friday prayers during a rally around Rabaa Adawiya square where they are camping, in Cairo July 26, 2013. Mursi is under investigation for an array of charges including murder, the state news agency said on Friday, stoking tensions as Egypt's opposing political camps took to the streets. The banner (bottom) reads, "People do not accept coup."

Dr. Kamil Sedik, secretary of the Congregational Council in Alexandria, has condemned repeated attacks by Islamist groups against Coptic Christians in Egypt, saying that authorities are permitting the violence by not providing adequate security for vulnerable Copts.

"Copts are subjected to violence by criminals, who were released from prison by deposed President Morsi, because of their [Copts] ideological affiliation," Sedik told Mideast Christian News.

Moreover, Sedik accused government officials of failing to cope with criminal attacks against Copts.

"The government does not provide security for Copts, but it tolerates prisoners who are under investigation," he said in reference to the meeting between foreign officials and Khairat el-Shater, a Muslim Brotherhood leader. Shater is currently imprisoned pending a trial for inciting the killing of demonstrators.

Sedik called on the government to pay adequate attention to all Egyptians who are persecuted and attacked because of their religious identity.

"The interim government should be a revolutionary government because it is operating under unusual circumstances," said Sedik, who stressed that "the government's severe slowdown in dealing with terrorist groups encouraged these groups to exercise more violence."